Verstappen 'lucky' after finding Imola 'tow buddy'.
Max Verstappen has been described as "a little bit lucky" in securing a 'tow buddy' to secure the three-time F1 champion a historic pole position at Imola.
19 May 2024, 7:25AM
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Would Max Verstappen have secured pole position at Imola without a tow from his 'buddy'? By the end of qualifying, Verstappen had been pushed closer than in any other session this season by a rival driver. It was in stark contrast to many where he has finished a comfortable two-or three-tenths of a second quicker. As to whether dominating qualifying or being given a stern test of his one-lap credentials was satisfying, there was only one answer.

"I would rather qualify eight-tenths ahead, but that's not possible," said Verstappen, before highlighting what Red Bull managed to achieve given the performance of his car on Friday. It is very enjoyable when you have a turnaround like we had. So I was really excited in qualifying, and really happy when I heard that we were on pole. It was great that it was that close and that we really, really had to fight for it.”

“But I still come back to the first point. I would rather qualify with a lot in front! That's how it goes, right? I guess sometimes you have weekends where everything really comes together and then the car becomes unbelievable to drive, and it doesn't matter what you do, it just feels fantastic, and you can do some really special laps, which have happened in the past. But this was also really cool."

'Tow buddy';

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...mola-tow-buddy


Lando Norris tears apart ‘bit stupid’ Max Verstappen Imola struggle theory
18 May 2024 7:46 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Lando Norris believes anyone counting Max Verstappen and Red Bull out at Imola was “a bit stupid” after the Dutchman maintained his 100 per cent pole position record. At first, the signs were not positive for Red Bull, Verstappen failing to feature in the top three through practice with “terrible” – as he put it – short and long run performance.

His fortunes made a complete U-turn for qualifying though, where Verstappen topped all three sessions to claim pole, even if McLaren were keeping him on his toes, both Oscar Piastri and Norris getting within a tenth of his pole lap.

And while Norris believes a “good race” could be on the horizon for McLaren at Imola, he bluntly said that anyone who had expected Verstappen to be down and out is “a bit stupid”.

“A bit stupid”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...struggle-imola


Ferrari drivers disagree on theories for shock Red Bull Imola GP qualifying pace leap
18 May 2024 7:03 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were split on the reasons behind Red Bull’s surprise pace jump in Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying after Max Verstappen claimed pole position at Imola.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher after the session, Sainz claimed it was dangerous to look too deeply into the practice results given Red Bull‘s habit of running lower engine settings on Fridays.

Leclerc shared Sainz’s view that Ferrari are struggling in Sector 1 at Imola and admitted that Red Bull’s resurgence had taken the team by surprise. But the Monegasque offered a contrasting theory that Red Bull were running with a heavy fuel load during Friday’s running, which masked the RB20’s true pace.

‘Split on the reasons’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...ualifying-pace


Mark Hughes: The three drivers crucial to Verstappen's bounceback
May 18, 2024
by Mark Hughes
The Race

Did Sebastien Buemi secure Max Verstappen this pole? Or was it Nico Hulkenberg? For sure, Verstappen himself deserves much of the credit for delivering in a car which may not actually have been the fastest, for once. But those two friends of his definitely played their part.

This was a special pole not because of how dominant it was, but because of how dramatic a turnaround it represented after Verstappen had struggled with the car’s balance throughout the three practices. It wasn’t that the formidable-looking McLaren and Ferrari challenge had faltered either. Both those teams were significantly quicker in qualifying than at any other stage of the weekend.

It was just that Verstappen and the team had found more. But exactly what is the team’s role in situations like this? “The unsung heroes are the 60 people working back at base – and the sim driver, in this case Buemi, putting in the long hard hours,” Christian Horner tells The Race.

“The unsung heroes”;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/v...mi-hulkenberg/


Horner after pole in Imola: 'You can tell how much it meant to Max'
18 May 2024
Julien Lemmen
Verstappen.nl

After a rough start of the weekend for Oracle Red Bull Racing during free practice in Imola, Max Verstappen eventually took pole position in a thrilling qualifying session. Team principal Christian Horner reflects after qualifying:

"It was an outstanding Saturday here in Imola, especially after we struggled yesterday. The team did a really good job overnight, with Seb Buemi, Jake Dennis and everyone in Milton Keynes working into the early hours on the simulator, and we kept improving the car as we saw the results of in Q3.”

“Max had to deliver and he really pulled it out of the bag with a great performance, and you can tell how much it meant to him to be on pole today. That’s 8 poles in a row, equalling the great Ayrton Senna and doing it here in Imola making it all the more poignant. All to play for tomorrow as we head into race day in Imola."

'You can tell how much it meant to Max';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5466/


‘It all just came together’ – Verstappen thrilled to take pole after struggles in practice
18:57 Sat, 18 May 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Max Verstappen was on the back foot throughout all three practice sessions in Imola, but after hard work by him and his Red Bull crew they managed to get the car right for qualifying – and he duly delivered pole.

‘It all just came together’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/it...07039319780741


“…So I gave him the finger” – Verstappen, Norris and Piastri recount bizarre shared Imola F1 fan tale
The top three in Imola qualifying for the 2024 Emilia Romagna GP all remembered one mystery F1 fan
18 May 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

Max Verstappen revealed he’d flipped off an Imola fan in qualifying for the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris adding they’d also noticed the rogue spectator but for contrasting reasons. Piastri and Norris provisionally qualified second and third within a tenth of the pole-sitting Dutchman, but while the Australian’s account echoed that of Verstappen, Formula 1‘s reigning grand prix winner explained he’d received support from the mystery fan.

That prompted Piastri to jokingly ask whether Norris has signed for Ferrari, with the Scuderia certainly the home favourites even away from the unmatched frenzy of Monza. “It’s been great and actually, I had a funny story in qualifying where we were driving in the pits,” Verstappen told select members of the press, including Total-Motorsport.com.

“A lot of people were clapping, then one guy was doing some different things to me so I gave him the finger, and then the next time I came around, he was clapping. So they learn you know? It’s easy to be not nice drivers, but I can also be not nice to, luckily he was a bit higher up but it’s good after that – I guess he appreciated it.”

“…So I gave him the finger”;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/so-...a-f1-fan-tale/


F1 starting grid: What is the grid order for the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola?
18 May 2024 4:02 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Piastri was handed a three-place penalty after the session for impeding Kevin Magnussen’s Haas in Q1, putting him down to fifth and promoting Lando Norris – the winner of the last race in Miami – to P2 ahead of the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix grid
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Lando Norris, McLaren
3. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
5. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
6. George Russell, Mercedes
7. Yuki Tsunoda, RB
8. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
9. Daniel Ricciardo, RB
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

‘Grid order’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-sta...and-prix-imola